Diabetes care systems are used for detecting analytes relevant for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in the human body and/or for treatment, in particular by injection of medicaments. Important examples are blood glucose meters or insulin pumps. Modern diabetes care systems support their users by logging performed actions and thus providing them for later analysis. In this manner, so-called “history files” are created in the course of a longer usage duration.
Like the log data of executed actions, analysis data may also be stored in diabetes care systems. Especially in analysis systems which are wearable on the body (invasive or noninvasive) and implantable in the body, a frequent, even practically continuous measurement and determination of the analytes occurs, in which a large quantity of measurement and/or analysis data are obtained. The temporarily stored data must be transmitted from time to time to a base station, such as a PC.
For this purpose, wired interfaces or wireless interfaces having corresponding interface protocols are frequently used in devices wearable on the body. In implanted devices, the data transmission is always performed wirelessly, of course. In “classical” data transmission, all of the data material present is typically downloaded. A sequential transmission occurs, the data being transmitted in the sequence of their generation (first-in-first-out) or in the reverse sequence of generation (last-in-first-out).
In this classical procedure, it is assumed that the data link exists at least for the duration of the transmission of all data. It may typically not be interrupted. The user is conscious that the data transmission occurs, because he has actively initiated the transmission and monitors the procedure. The software used for data transmission typically also indicates the course of the transmission, for example, as a graphic and/or as a percentage number.
This transmission of the data is perceived by the users as quite uncomfortable. They see themselves as “bound” to the base station, because the transmission may not be interrupted and they may not move away from the base station during the data transmission.
To increase the operator comfort, systems are required in which the communication between the mobile component, which is wearable on or in the body, and the base station is designed as “on-demand”, without having to be initiated or monitored by the user. A wireless communication occurs automatically when the user brings the mobile component in proximity to the base station. The devices recognize the proximity of the particular partner component automatically. Establishing the link is therefore very comfortable and user-friendly for the user.
A data transmission can only be performed when the user stays close enough to the base station. The link duration which is available for a communication of this type between a mobile component worn on the body and the base station changes as a function of the dwell time of the user in proximity to the base station. The time duration usable for data transmission is thus unknown to the system. Using the diabetes care systems known in the prior art, reliable data transmission is not possible in the event of varying and unknown link duration.
In addition, special problems exist with the use of diabetes care systems:                On one hand, these systems assume widely important vital medical functions with high complexity. Intervention in the regulation system of the human body, as can be performed on the basis of the data obtained by such systems or by the systems directly, is otherwise typically performed by highly qualified medical personnel and under their continuous observation, for example, in an intensive care unit. However, the operator of the diabetes care system, such as an insulin pump, is the patient, who is typically a medical layperson and who can not completely oversee the effects of an intervention in the system.        On the other hand, diabetics only have restricted power of movement and reduced attentiveness because of their illness, especially in the advanced stage. This can result in malfunctions and incorrect settings of the device or can result in deviating settings, such as an incorrectly regulated insulin dose, not being noted. This can cause severe health damage in the patients. It is also important for this reason to log the actions of the patient and transmit them regularly to a base station, which can assume analysis and alarm functions.        
Because of the problems described above, there is a significant risk that with a wireless communication link between the device carried by the person and the base station, the entire link duration for complete transmission of all data cannot be reliably ensured.